The Watches of Fandom: Ranger's Apprentice
by Winter Starcatcher
Summary: What happens when a fangirl finally gets the one thing every fangirl wants? Sky gets transported into Ranger's Apprentice and gets to live the story alongside Will. But who knew it would be so hard to make sure that the story continued the way its supposed to? And who keeps trying to kill off the main character? Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Prolouge

I looked down at the crumpled note in my hand.

 _I know what you're up too. Meet me at the library tomorrow. Youth Fiction, F section. 3:00._

I looked at my watch. 2:57. Always good to be a few minutes early. I took a deep breath, then walked into the building, filled with books. Everything seemed so different than I remembered. Didn't those shelves over there used to be grey, not orange? I guess they'd rearranged everything since I'd last been here, five years ago. I walked over to the Juvenile Fiction section, and walked down the row with authors whose last names begin with the letter F. I slowed now, waiting for the person who wrote the note to make his/herself known to me. I paused, pretending to be interested in a random book. As if. I hated reading, books, and literature in general. Ever since Miranda-but that didn't matter now. Not when I was so close to keeping that from ever happening again, along with getting my revenge on her. Unless this mysterious person got in my way, which was why I was here in the first place.

I heard someone walk up behind me. I pretended not to notice. If this was the person who wrote me that note, he or she would make their presence known to me. Speaking of which were they?

"So," said the voice of a girl. "You decided to show up. Those watches must be important to you, since you came here. I honestly wasn't sure I'd ever see you in a library. Especially after what happened with Miranda."

I turned around to see who knew of both the watches, Miranda, and, if the note was to be believed, my plans. I don't know what I was expecting, but what I saw was definitely not it. A short girl with short brown hair, brown eyes, and very strange clothing stood before me. She wore Hufflepuff Hogwarts robes over an orange t-shirt that read "Camp Half-Blood". She had jean capris, and red and white plaid converse high tops. She also wore nerd glasses. Around her neck was a silver chain with a gold ring on it. In other words, she was dressed like the nerdiest nerd ever. She was clearly a fangirl, I thought, eyes narrowing.

"How dare you speak to me of that traitor. Especially here," I said, making her cringe.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "That was very insensitive of me."

I rolled my eyes, annoyed at this kid for bringing up painful memories. "Why did you call me here?" I asked. "Who are you, and how did you find out about my plans?"

She actually looked a little scared. "Me?" she said, voice a bit higher than normal. "I'm...uh...nobody. Yeah, let's just go with that. Call me NoBody. My sources of information must remain a secret. As for why I called you here, I just wanted to warn you. I know what you're planning to do with the watches, and I'm here to tell you that I won't allow it to happen. You can walk away now, and save yourself a lot of stress and disappointment, but if you do go through with it, I'm gonna tell you now that you won't succeed. I'll stop you. I'll not allow you to ruin these precious books."

"You?" I scoffed. "There's nothing a mere storyteller could do to stop me," I replied, before turning and walking away, out of that cursed building.

 _It's time to act,_ I thought. _If a storyteller managed to find out about my plans, it's only a matter of time before an author or even Miranda herself learns of the threat I've become._


	2. Chapter 1

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Went my alarm. I ignored it for a few minutes, trying to recall my dream. It had been a good one. Angel wings had sprouted out of my back, and I started flying around my school trying to find the door so I could fly around in the sky, and see if Oz was really just over the rainbow. I know. Weird. But it had been so much fun to fly. After a few minutes, I finally turned off my annoying alarm, and attempted to go back to sleep, when my second alarm rang. I remembered setting it the night before, because I knew I would try to go back to sleep. Dang it. I was just too good. Groaning, I turned off my alarm, and on my lamp. Suddenly I remembered what today was. _I've made it,_ I thought. _It's the last day of school today!_ Going slowly, because I was tired, I got up and began getting ready. After getting dressed, brushing my teeth and hair, getting my bag ready, and eating a quick breakfast, I was out the door, walking to the bus stop. As soon as I was out of sight of my house, I pulled my book out of my backpack, and began reading while walking, a skill I had developed from refusing to put down my book when the bell rang. I continued reading when I got to the bus stop, and when I got on the bus.

"Sky!" exclaimed my best friend, Danielle, or Danni, as everyone called her. "You cut your hair!" I smiled as I put down my book, and moved my bag off the seat I had saved for her. Danni and I had been best friends for two years, since seventh grade, when we had gym together. She and I looked nothing alike. She had blond hair, while mine was black. She had turquoise eyes, and mine were a hazel-ish color. She was also pretty tall. Nearly a foot taller than me (though that wasn't saying much, seeing as I was barely 5' 1). In fact, the only thing we had in common was that both of us wore glasses, and that we both had long hair. Well, used to both have long hair, anyway.

"Yup!" I said, fingering my short, wavy (almost curly), black hair. It used to be halfway down my back. Now it was a short bob.

"I don't believe it!" Danni said. " I leave you alone for a week, and you chop all your hair off!"

"I guess you aren't leaving me alone anymore?" I asked, teasingly.

"Not a chance," she said, smiling. "Well, it's cute, but didn't you tell me you wanted to grow it really long two weeks ago?" She asked.

"Well, yes. But it was always in the way. I like it now. It's never in the way." I said.

"I guess so. But I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it." she said.

That day, my first class was gym. Danni and I didn't have it together anymore, and I was more of a reader than an athlete, so needless to say, it wasn't that great. Especially since we were playing basketball, despite the fact that it was the last day of school. Now, I am perfectly capable of getting the ball in the basket, but that's without all the tall people hitting it out of my hands before I even get the chance. And without none of the tall people passing the ball to me. You see, as I mentioned earlier, I'm not the tallest person ever. And due to that, the fact that I'm pretty quiet, and the fact that I have no desire whatsoever to play most sports, I'm stereotyped as fragile, and incapable. Especially in gym. Its just one of the downsides to being short.

My next class was math. Also not my favorite. Despite my sister constantly telling me how it's our world's version of magic, I just can't pay attention. I usually end up accidentally daydreaming when our teacher is giving the more important instructions. But today, we weren't really doing anything, so I got to read the whole time.

After math, I had ceramics, which was fun because we got into groups and made masks, then voted on whose mask was the best. My group didn't win, but it was fun anyway.

After that was English, one of my favorite classes. I liked it because Danni and our other friend, Mia had it with me, and our teacher was awesome.

Danni sighed as she put down her bag, and sat next to me. "I never really liked this class," she said. I would never understand why, but Danni never really liked reading. Or books. She had always been more into theatre and acting.

"At least we have it together," I said, trying to remind her about the good things about English, without reawakening our two year old argument about whether or not reading is fun. "If you have to do it, at least you can have friends with you."

Just then Mia came and sat down next to Danni. She had strawberry blond hair and gray-blue eyes. I had only met her at the beginning of the school year, but she and Danni had had math together last year, and by this time, we were all good friends. In my head, I called us the golden trio (Yes, like Harry Potter. I told you I'm a reader).

"Hey guys! How's life? Aren't you so excited for summer? I am! I can't wait for girls camp! its gonna be so much fun! And trek! I can't wait for trek this summer! I'm so excited!" She said in that hyperactive way that only she can.

"Remember to breath, Mia," I said, giggling. Mia was awesome in the way that everyone can't help but to like her. She's just so friendly, and funny, and sweet. Everyone was friends with her. Even the teachers. She's the model student, always asking and answering questions, and doing her homework, and studying for tests instead of staying up late reading fanfics, like I do.

"I'm so excited for summer!" Danni replied. "Guess what guys, I-" but what exactly she was gonna say was never found out by us, because just then the teacher started talking.

"Ok guys! Since today is the last day of school, we're just gonna finish up watching Princess Bride," said our teacher Mrs. Kerr.

Finally, the bell that signaled our day was over rang. Mia, Danni, and I were all excitedly talking about vacations we were going on this summer, when something really awesome happened. A girl in a Hogwarts robe and camp half-blood t-shirt came up to me.

"I like your shoelaces," she said, in the signal for people who are on Tumblr/people in fandoms.

I smiled, because I was really excited to meet another fangirl. "Thank you! I stole them from the president!" I said, giving the code answer. She just smiled, and walked away.

"Ok, you've officially convinced me," said Mia. "Fandoms are all cults."

"You have no idea," Danni said. After that, she seemed kind of mad. She wouldn't talk to me the whole bus ride home. I didn't understand why though. It seemed weird. She knew I was a fangirl. She knew I loved to read. But I didn't understand why talking to another fangirl would make such a difference. I shrugged, and assumed she was just being her overdramatic self.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Went my alarm. I groaned and rolled over, too tired to even try to turn it off. It continued beeping in that irritating way that only an alarm clock can. Finally, after about five minutes, my annoyance grew stronger than my exhaustion, and I got up, turning it off. I was about to get up and get ready for school when I realized that it was the first day of summer. With that thought, I smiled, and decided to go to sleep until a reasonable hour. And then I saw the package sitting on my desk. It was a small cardboard box covered in brown paper and tied up with string. On top of it was a folded piece of notebook paper. Curious, I got up and picked it up. It wasn't very heavy, and when I shook it it didn't make any noise. I picked up the note, deciding to read that before I opened the package.

 _Dear Miss Skylar,_

 _Inside this package is something very valuable. With it, you can do amazing things. Use it well._

 _-Nobody_

That was all it said. No clues were given to what was inside the box, how it got there, why it was there, or who the heck "Nobody" was. I knew it was probably a stupid thing to do, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the package. Inside was a fob watch, kind of like the one in Doctor Who, except without all the weird markings. Naturally, I opened it. The date and time weren't right, and the hands weren't moving. Assuming that it was either broken or dead, I set the watch down and picked up the second package. Inside this one was a book called Ranger's Apprentice. Being a big reader, I immediately sat down on my bed and began reading it. And that's how the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me started. As soon as I read the first word, I was whisked away to a world that I knew nothing about.

I was spinning extremely fast. That's what it felt like, anyway. I couldn't see or hear anything. You know how when you've been lying down for a while and suddenly get up your vision gets all fuzzy and weird? That's what it was like.

When the spinning sensation stopped, and my vision cleared, I found myself in a room made of stone and lit with candles. I was seated at a wooden table, along with five other people. Instead of my pajamas, I was wearing some sort of medieval dress, which in itself was strange, seeing as I usually only wear jeans or leggings. I had a book in my hand, and I could feel the watch in my pocket. In front of me was a plate filled with food, all of which looked very good, but none of it which I felt like eating. I was too terrified of what just happened to eat anything. The weirdest thing by far though was that the fangirl I saw yesterday was sitting next to me, but no one seemed to notice her, or the fact that she was wearing modern cloths.

"Try to eat something, Will and Sky. Tomorrow's a big day, after all," said a pretty blond girl, as she smiled encouragingly at me and the boy sitting next to me, who I assumed was Will. He made an attempt to return her smile, but it only made him look more nervous. I felt the same way, though it wasn't because tomorrow was a big day (I didn't understand that bit yet). It was because I was very confused as to why I was there, and why no one seemed to know that I wasn't supposed to be there.

"Nerves, I imagine," said a thin, gangly boy. "Dreadful thing, nervousness. It can just freeze you up so you can't think, can't eat, can't speak." I nodded, thinking that that was exactly how I felt.

"I'm not nervous," Will said quickly, as a third boy, this one tall, muscular, and athletic looking, looked up, probably to say something sarcastic.

The thin boy nodded several times, considering Will's statement. "on the other hand," he added, "a little nervousness can actually improve performance. It can heighten your perceptions and sharpen your reactions. So, the fact that you are worried, if, in fact, you are, is not necessarily something to be worried about, of itself-so to speak."

That made me smile, and so did Will, despite the fact that I was more than nervous. I was down right terrified. _Thats it_ , I thought. _I've finally cracked. Fandom has officially made me insane._

"He ought to be nervous!" the athletic boy scoffed. "After all, which Craftmaster is going to want him as an apprentice?"

"I'm sure we're all nervous," a tall, graceful blond girl said. She directed a smile at Will. "We'd be stupid not to be."

"Well, I'm not!" the athletic boy said, then reddened as the graceful girl raised one eyebrow and the shorter girl giggled.

At this point I stopped listening, instead turning to the one person I recognized, and whispered "What's going on?"

"Well, you read the book with the fob watch open. It brought you here. I'll tell you more in a bit, but right now you should listen. Oh and don't talk to me. The others can't see or hear me," she said, which just made me even more confused and scared. Why couldn't she explain now? Why did reading with a watch open make me go insane? Who were these people? Why couldn't they see her? Finally, my head spinning with questions, I decided to take her advice and just listen.

"Still planning on applying for Battleschool, Will?" the athletic boy asked through a mouthful of turkey and potatoes. "Better eat something then. You'll need to build yourself up a little."

As he snorted with laughter, and Will glowered, I found myself getting angry. I'd had to deal with taunts like that because of my size too, and while I ignored it when it happened to me, I couldn't stand seeing it happen to someone else. So for the first time that evening, I spoke to this annoying kid.

"Maybe you should stop eating, before you get too fat to apply," I said quietly. Even if I didn't know what Battleschool was yet, I knew that no one likes being called fat. Everyone there was as shocked as I was that I actually talked, except for the fangirl, who was laughing hysterically. If you know anything about me, its that I don't talk. If I don't know you, and even when I do sometimes, I will not utter a word. Especially not a rude one. But here I was defending a boy that I hardly knew. I guess I figured that if I was going crazy, I was gonna do what I'd wanted to for years and speak my mind.

"I'm not fat. I might be big, but it's all muscle. You need muscles to get into Battleschool, Will. Real muscles." he said, quickly recovering from his shock, and glanced at the others around the table to see if anyone disagreed. The other wards, uncomfortable at the growing tension between the boys and I, concentrated on their plates.

"Particularly between the ears," Will replied and, unfortunately, the shorter girl couldn't keep herself from giggling. The athletic boy's face flushed and he started to rise from his seat. But Will was quicker and he was already at the door before the bigger boy could disentangle himself from his chair. He contented himself with hurling a final insult after the retreating boy.

"That's right! Run away, Will No-Name! You're a no-name and nobody will want you as an apprentice!"

I wasn't entirely sure what the athletic boy meant by "no-name," but I knew that it was an insult, and I was sick and tired of listening to him. "Shut up," I said, unable to think of anything cleverer to say, as I walked out after Will, the other fangirl following.

"So," I said to her as soon as we were out of earshot. "You want to tell me what the heck is going on now?"

"Ok, so remember that watch? Well it's a magic watch that lets you go into whatever book you're reading when its open. You're currently in Ranger's Apprentice. The book you're holding right now tells you everything you need to know about what's happening, like how you fit into the book and everything. Who you are when you're in here. My job is to act as your guide. I'm supposed to tell you what's going on when you're confused," She answered.

"Ok, so what should I call you?" I asked.

"Um...NoBody. Yeah, lets just go with that," She said, smiling as though she had just made a clever joke.

"All right NoBody. Who is everyone? Why can't they see you? What were they talking about tomorrow being a big day? Where did the watch come from? How do I get back? Did you give me the watch? Why? Who am I supposed to be in the story?" I asked, sounding almost as hyperactive as Mia.

"The boy who ran off is named Will. The boy who was making fun of him is named Horace. The shorter girl is Jenny, and the taller one is Alyss. They can't see me because...I don't actually know. I haven't worked that part out yet. Tomorrow is the Choosing Day. All these kids are orphans, and Baron Arald, the ruler person of this fief basically took them in, and when they turn fifteen they can get chosen by one of the craftmasters to be an apprentice, which is why Will was so worried. He can't see himself fitting into any of the categories. When you don't get chosen, you have to work at a farm, or something. That book you're holding has a paragraph about whatever you were doing before you came here. All you need to do is read it with the watch open to get back. I'm not allowed to tell you who gave you the watch, but they did it because the story is in danger. I'll explain more about that later. If you want to know who you're supposed to be, check the book. It'll explain everything better than I can." NoBody said. I decided to take her advice and opened the book.

 _Greetings Adventurer!_

 _You are currently in Ranger's Apprentice book 1, The Ruins of Gorlan. Your role in this book is Will's twin sister. You are assumed to be his sister, as you were found with him, and had a similar note pinned to you. As you go through the book, your role will be more clearly defined, but that's all spoilers for now. Good luck!_

"So," I said shakily, still sure that I was going crazy. "I'm supposed to be Will's sister?"

"Yup!" NoBody said, cheerfully. "And you need to keep him alive. If you don't the entire series will be ruined."

"What?" I exclaimed, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"No time to explain. Right now, Will is terrified. I think he needs a sister to help him." NoBody said, grabbing my arm, and towing me to a tree.

"He's up here. Good luck!"

Not knowing what else to do, I climbed up the tree until I found Will. He was in the very top branches. I thought about everything he must've been through. It couldn't be easy to grow up with a bully, and no parents. I didn't talk. There wasn't anything I could say to take away all the years of torture, or bring his (our, I reminded myself) parents back. We both sat like that, up in the tree for hours, just thinking.

Gradually, as we sat there, the lights in the castle windows went out, one by one. The torches burnt down to smoldering husks and were replaced at midnight by the change of watch. Eventually, there was only one light left burning. A study was virtually level with our position in the tree and I could see a burly figure seated at a desk. Finally he rose, stretched and leaned forward to extinguish the lamp as he left the room. Now the castle was asleep, except for the guards on the walls, who kept constant watch.

In less than nine hours, I realized, I would face the Choosing, and while I wasn't nervous, because I still wasn't totally sure what it was, I knew it must be awful for Will. My thoughts were confirmed when I looked at his miserable face as we silently climbed down from the tree and made our ways to the dormitories in the Ward, NoBody guiding me.

That night instead of sleeping, I read the book and memorized every fact I was supposed to know about this new world. As I read, I became more and more worried about the Choosing. No way could I go into Diplomatic Service like Alyss, and the Scribemaster definitely wouldn't choose me. I was terrible at speaking, and I stumbled over words a lot. I was a terrible cook, so that ruled out being an apprentice to Master Chubb, Redmont's head chef. And I was just too small for anywhere else.

Finally, I decided that worrying about it would do me no good, and that I would just have to see what would happen. I fell into bed, and was asleep in seconds.


	3. Chapter 2

"All right, candidates! This way! And look lively!"

The speaker, or should I say shouter, was Martin, I remembered, secretary to Baron Arald. As his voice echoed around the anteroom, all six of us wards (and Nobody) rose uncertainly from the long wooden benches where we had been seated. Suddenly nervous now that the day had finally arrived, we began to shuffle forward, each one of us reluctant to be the first through the great ironbound door that Martin now held open for us.

"Come on, come on!" Martin bellowed impatiently. Alyss finally elected to lead the way, as I guessed she would. The rest of us followed the willowy blonde girl. Now that someone had decided to lead, the rest of us were content to follow.

I looked around curiously as I entered the Baron's study. I remembered from my reading that this area of the castle was seldom visited by those of low rank-such as castle wards. The room was pretty big. The ceiling towered above me, and the walls were constructed of massive stone blocks, fitted together with only the barest lines of mortar between them. On the eastern wall was a huge window space-open to the elements but with massive wooden shutters that could be closed in the event of bad weather. It was the same window Will and I had been able to see through last night, I realized. Today, sunlight streamed in and fell on the huge oak table that Baron Arald used as a desk.

"Come on now! Stand in line, stand in line!" Martin shouted, seeming to enjoy his moment of authority. We shuffled into line as he studied us, a disapproving frown on his face.

"In size place! Tallest this end!" He indicated the end where he wanted the tallest of us to stand. Gradually, we rearranged ourselves. The athletic boy, Horace, I remembered, was tallest. After him was Alyss, the girl Will liked. Then George, who was half a head shorter than Alyss, and painfully thin. He stood with a stoop-shouldered posture. Jenny then attempted to let Will go next, even though she was nearly an inch taller. I couldn't help but feel grateful to her for that act of kindness to my new brother, and I smiled gratefully at her. But as Will moved in line, Martin's voice stopped him.

"Not you! The blond girl's next."

Jenny shrugged apologetically and moved into the place Martin had indicated, Will taking his place next to her. I took the last place in line, wishing Martin hadn't made Will's lack of height so apparent. No one but short people seemed to understand how embarrassing it could be.

"Come on! Smarten up, smarten up! Let's see you at attention there," Martin continued, then broke off as a deep voice interrupted him.

"I don't believe that's totally necessary, Martin."

It was Baron Arald, who had entered, unobserved, by way of a smaller door behind his massive desk. Now it was Martin who brought himself to what he considered to be a position of attention, with his skinny elbows held out from his sides, his heels forced together so that his unmistakably bowed legs were widely separated at the knees, and his head thrown back.

Baron Arald raised his eyes to heaven. The Baron was a big man, broad in the shoulder and waist and heavily muscled, as was necessary for a knight of the realm. It was well known, however, that Baron Arald was fond of his food and drink, so his considerable bulk was not totally attributable to muscle. For some unknown reason, he reminded me a little of how I pictured the Fat Friar, from Harry Potter.

He had a short, neatly trimmed black beard that, like his hair, was beginning to show the traces of gray that went with his forty-two years. He had a strong jaw, a large nose and dark piercing eyes under heavy brows. It was a powerful face, but not an unkind one, I thought. There was a surprising hint of humor in those dark eyes. This could've been what led me to think of the Fat Friar. Or maybe it was the fact that he was a bit fat. I remembered from the book that he occasionally would visit the wards' quarters to see how their lessons and personal development were progressing.

"Sir!" Martin said at top volume, causing the Baron to wince slightly. "The candidates are assembled!"

"I can see that," Baron Arald replied patiently. "Perhaps you might be good enough to ask the Craftmasters to step in as well?"

"Sir!" Martin responded, making an attempt to click his heels together. As he was wearing shoes of a soft, pliable leather, the attempt was doomed to failure. He marched toward the main door of the study, all elbows and knees. I got the faint impression of a rooster, making me almost giggle. As Martin laid his hand on the door handle, the Baron stopped him once more.

"Martin?" he said softly. As the secretary turned an inquiring look back at him, he continued in the same quiet tone, "Ask them. Don't bellow at them. Craftmasters don't like that."

"Yes sir," said Martin, looking somewhat deflated. He opened the door and, making an obvious effort to speak in a lower tone, said, "Craftmasters. The Baron is ready now."

The Craftschool heads entered the room in no particular order of precedence. As a group, they admired and respected one another and so rarely stood on strict ceremonial procedure. Sir Rodney, head of the Battleschool, came first. Tall and broad-shouldered like the Baron, he wore the standard battledress of chain mail shirt under a white surcoat emblazoned with his own crest, a scarlet wolfshead. He had earned that crest as a young man, fighting the wolfships of the Skandian sea raiders who constantly harried the kingdom's east coast. He wore a sword belt and sword, of course. No knight would be seen in public without one. He was around the Baron's age with blue eyes and a face that Mia would've said was remarkably handsome if it weren't for the massively broken nose. He sported an enormous mustache but, unlike the Baron, he had no beard.

Next came Ulf, the Horsemaster, responsible for the care and training of the castle's mighty battlehorses. He had keen brown eyes, strong muscular forearms and heavy wrists. He wore a simple leather vest over his woolen shirt and leggings. Tall riding boots of soft leather reached up past his knees.

Lady Pauline followed Ulf. Slim, gray-haired and elegant, she had been a considreable beauty in her youth and still had the grace and style to turn men's heads. Lady Pauline, who had been awarded the title in her own right for her work in foreign policy for the kingdom, was head of the Diplomatic Service in Redmont. Baron Arald regarded her abilities highly and she was one of his close confidants and advisers. Arald often said that girls made the best recruits to the Diplomatic Service. They tended to be more subtle than boys, who gravitated naturally to Battleschool. And while boys constantly looked to physical means as the way of solving problems, girls could be depended on to use their wits.

It was perhaps only natural that Nigel, the Scribemaster, followed close behind Lady Pauline. Nigel and Lady Pauline were close friends as well as professional colleagues. It was Nigel's trained scribes who prepared the official documents, having an extensive background in legal matters. Nigel was a small, wiry man with a quick, inquisitive face that reminded me of a ferret. His hair was glossy black, his features were thin and his dark eyes never ceased roaming the room.

Master Chubb, the castle cook, came in last of all. Inevitably, he was a fat, round-bellied man, wearing a cook's white jacket and tall hat. He was known to have a terrible temper that could flare as quickly as oil spilled on a fire, and most of the wards treated him with considerable caution. Florid-faced and with red, rapidly receding hair, Master Chubb carried a wooden ladle with him wherever he went. It was an unofficial staff of office. It was also used quite often as an offensive weapon, landing with a resounding crack on the heads of careless, forgetful or slow-moving kitchen apprentices. Alone among the group, Jenny saw Chubb as something of a hero. It was her avowed intention to work for him and learn his skills, wooden ladle or no wooden ladle.

There were other Craftmasters, if I remembered correctly. The Armorer and the Blacksmith were two. But I guessed that only Craftmasters who had vacancies for new apprentices would be represented today.

"The Craftmasters are assembled, sir!" Martin said, his voice rising in volume. Martin seemed to equate volume and the importance of the occasion in direct proportion. Once again, the Baron raised his eyes to heaven.

"So I see," he said quietly, then added, in a more formal tone, "Good morning, Lady Pauline. Good morning, gentlemen."

They replied and the Baron turned to Martin once more. "Perhaps we might proceed?"

Martin nodded several times, consulted a sheaf of notes he held in one hand and marched to confront the line of candidates.

"Right, the Baron's waiting! The Baron's waiting! Who's first?"

Next to me, Will lowered his head, shifting from one foot to the other. He looked up, just when I started to have that prickly sensation that I was being watched. I looked over at Will and followed his line of sight till I saw who he was looking at. Halt the ranger.

I didn't remember seeing him come in the room. He probably slipped in through a side door while everyone's attention was on the Craftmasters as they made their entrance. Now he stood behind the Baron's chair and slightly to one side, dressed in brown and gray clothes and wrapped in his long, mottled gray and green cloak. I remembered from my book that all rangers wore cloaks like that. I looked over at NoBody. _Why is Halt here?_ I tried to ask her without appearing crazy.

"Halt is the Ranger of the Redmont fief. He played a big part in the war against Morgarath, and is actually probably the main reason that he's not king right now. Everyone is kind of scared of him because they don't understand how rangers use their cloaks to camouflage, or how they practice so much that they have uncanny accuracy with their longbows. Also, there are rumors that they practice magic and that's why they can become almost invisible," she said, not exactly answering my unasked question, but she didn't seem to be saying any more so I turned my attention back to what was happening.

"Now then, who's first? Who's first?"

 _Why does he repeat everything he says?_ I thought. The Baron sighed audibly. "Why don't we take the first in line?" he suggested in a reasonable tone, and Martin nodded several times.

"Of course, my lord. Of course. First in line, step forward and face the Baron."

After a moment's hesitation, the athletic boy, Horace, I reminded myself, stepped forward out of the line and stood at attention. The Baron studied him for a few seconds.

"Name?" he said, and Horace answered, stumbling slightly over the correct method of address for the Baron.

"Horace Altman, sir…my lord."

"And do you have a preference, Horace?" the Baron asked, with the air of one who knows what the answer is going to be before hearing it.

"Battleschool, sir!" Horace said firmly.

The Baron nodded. He'd expected as much. He glanced at Rodney, who was studying the boy thoughtfully, assessing his suitability.

"Battlemaster?" the Baron said.

The big knight stepped forward, his chain mail and spurs chinking slightly as he moved closer to Horace. He eyed the boy up and down, then moved behind him. Horace's head started to turn with him.

"Still," Sir Rodney said, and the boy ceased his movement, staring straight ahead.

"Looks strong enough, my lord, and I can always use new trainees." He rubbed one hand over his chin. "You ride, Horace Altman?"

A look of uncertainty crossed Horace's face as he realized this might be a hurdle to his selection. "Well…no, sir. I…"

He was about to add that castle wards had little chance to learn to ride, but Sir Rodney interrupted him.

"No matter. That can be taught." The big knight looked at the Baron and nodded. "Very well, my lord. I'll take him for Battleschool, subject to the usual three-month training period."

The Baron made a note on a sheet of paper before him and smiled briefly at the delighted and very relieved youth before him.

"Congratulations, Horace. Report to Battleschool tomorrow morning. Eight o'clock sharp."

"Yes, sir!" Horace replied, grinning widely. He turned to Sir Rodney and bowed slightly. "Thank you, sir!"

"Don't thank me yet," the knight replied cryptically. "You don't know what you're in for."

"Who's next then?" Martin was calling as Horace, grinning broadly, stepped back into the line. Alyss stepped forward gracefully.

"Alyss Mainwaring, my lord," she said in her quiet, level voice. Then, before she could be asked, she continued, "I request an appointment to the Diplomatic Service, please, my lord."

Arald smiled at the solemn-looking girl. I couldn't help but wish I could talk like that instead of stumbling over everything I tried to say. She'd be great in the Diplomatic Service. The Baron glanced at Lady Pauline.

"My lady?" he said.

She nodded her head several times. "I've already spoken to Alyss, my lord. I believe she will be an excellent candidate. Approved and accepted."

Alyss made a small bow of her head in the direction of the woman who would be her mentor. I noticed Will smiling slightly at Alyss which made me smile. They were seriously perfect for each other. Alyss stepped back in line and Martin, not to be forestalled this time, was already pointing to George.

"Right! You're next! You're next! Address the Baron."

George stepped forward. His mouth opened and closed several times, but nothing came out. I was pretty surprised to see the boy who had been going on about nerves last night like this, and I could tell the others were just as surprised. Who knew George had stage fright? He finally managed to say something in a low voice that nobody in the room could hear. Baron Arald leaned forward, one hand cupped behind his ear.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite bet that," he said.

George looked up at the Baron and, with an enormous effort, spoke in a just-audible voice. "G-George Carter, sir. Scribeschool, sir."

Martin, ever a stickler for the proprieties, drew breath to berate him for the truncated nature of his address. Before he could do so, and to everyone's evident relief, Baron Arald stepped in.

"Very well, Martin. Let it go." Martin looked a little aggrieved, but subsided. The Baron glanced at Nigel, his chief scribe and legal officer, one eyebrow raised in question.

"Acceptable, my lord," he said, adding, "I've seen some of George's work and he really does have a gift for calligraphy."

The Baron looked doubtful. "He's not the most forceful of speakers, though, is he, Scribemaster? That could be a problem if he has to offer legal counsel at any time in the future."

Nigel shrugged the objection aside. "I promise you, my lord, with proper training that sort of thing represents no problem. Absolutely no problem at all, my lord."

The Scribemaster folded his hands together into the wide sleeves of the monklike habit he wore as he warmed to his theme.

"I remember a boy who joined us some seven years back, rather like this one here, as a matter of fact. He had that same habit of mumbling to his shoes—but we soon showed him how to overcome it. Some of our most reluctant speakers have gone on to develop absolute eloquence, my lord, absolute eloquence."

The Baron drew breath to comment, but Nigel continued in his discourse.

"It may even surprise you to hear that as a boy, I myself suffered from a most terrible nervous stutter. Absolutely terrible, my lord. Could barely put two words together at a time."

"Hardly a problem now, I see," the Baron managed to put in dryly, and Nigel smiled, taking the point. He bowed to the Baron.

"Exactly, my lord. We'll soon help young George overcome his shyness. Nothing like the rough and tumble of Scribeschool for that. Absolutely."

The Baron smiled, and I understood why. According to my book, the Scribeschool was a studious place where voices were rarely, if ever, raised and where logical, reasoned debate reigned supreme.

"I'll take your word for it," he replied, then to George he said, "Very well, George, request granted. Report to Scribeschool tomorrow."

George shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Mumble-mumble-mumble," he said and the Baron leaned forward again, frowning as he tried to make out the low-pitched words.

"What was that?" he asked.

George finally looked up and managed to whisper, "Thank you, my lord." He hurriedly shuffled back to the relative anonymity of the line, and I smiled sympathetically. I could picture myself doing exactly the same thing.

"Oh," said the Baron, a little taken aback. "Think nothing of it. Now, next is…."

Jenny was already stepping forward. Blond and pretty, she was also, it had to be admitted, a little on the chubby side. But the look suited her, and I was willing to bet that at any of the castle's social functions, she was a much sought-after dance partner.

"Master Chubb, sir!" she said now, stepping forward right to the edge of the Baron's desk. The Baron looked into the round face, saw the eagerness shining there in the blue eyes, and couldn't help smiling at her.

"What about him?" he asked gently and she hesitated, realizing that, in her enthusiasm, she had breached the protocol of the Choosing.

"Oh! Your pardon, sir…my….Baron…your lordship," she hastily improvised, her tongue running away with her as she mangled the correct for of address.

"My lord!" Martin prompted her. Baron Arald looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, Martin?" He said. "What is it?"

Martin had the grace to look embarrassed. It was obvious that the Baron was intentionally misunderstanding his interruption. He took a deep breath, and said in an apologetic tone, "I…simply wanted to inform you that the candidate's name is Jennifer Dalby, sir."

The Baron nodded at him, a look of approval in the lord's eyes.

"Thank you, Martin. Now, Jennifer Dalby…"

"Jenny, sir," said the irrepressible girl, and he shrugged resignedly.

"Jenny, then. I assume that you are applying to be apprenticed to Master Chubb?"

"Oh, yes, please, sir!" Jenny replied breathlessly, turning adoring eyes on the portly, red-haired cook. Chubb scowled thoughtfully and considered her.

"Mmmmm…could be, could be," he muttered, walking back and forth in front of her. She smiled winningly at him, but it was clear that Chubb was beyond such feminine wiles.

"I'd work hard, sir," she told him earnestly.

"I know you would!" he replied with some spirit. "I'd make sure of it, girl. No slacking or lollygagging in my kitchen, let me tell you."

Fearing that her opportunity might be slipping away, Jenny played her trump card.

"I have the right shape for it," she said.

"She has a point there, Chubb," the Baron put in, and the cook turned to him in agreement.

"Shape is important, sir. All great cooks tend to be…rounded." He turned back to the girl, still considering.

"Tell me," he said to the eager girl, "what would you do with a turkey pie?"

Jenny smiled dazzlingly at him. "Eat it," she answered immediately.

Chubb rapped her on the head with the ladle he carried. "I meant what would you do about cooking it?" he asked.

Jenny hesitated, gathered her thoughts, then plunged into a lengthy technical description of how she would go about constructing such a masterpiece. Everyone but Master Chubb listened in some awe, with absolutely no comprehension of what she was saying. Chubb nodded several times as she spoke, interrupting as she detailed the rolling of the pastry.

"Nine times, you say?" he said curiously and Jenny nodded, sure of her ground.

"My mother always said: 'Eight times to make it flaky and once more for love,'" she said. Chubb nodded thoughtfully.

"Interesting. Interesting," he said, then, looking up at the Baron, he nodded. "I'll take her, my lord."

"What a surprise," the Baron said mildly, then added, "Very well, report to the kitchens in the morning, Jennifer."

"Jenny, sir," the girl corrected him again, her smile lighting up the room.

Baron Arald smiled. He glanced at the small group before him. "And that leaves us with two more candidates." He glanced at his list, then looked up to meet Will's agonized gaze, gesturing encouragement.

Will stepped forward, and said in a very small voice, "Will, sir. My name is Will."


	4. Chapter 3

**Greetings to everyone who decided it was a good idea to read my weird story! I know I haven't updated in a month-ish. But I've got two lame excuses.**

 **Lame excuse 1: I was distracted with venturiantale (videos and fanfic)**

 **Lame excuse 2: I was really lazy**

 **I'm gonna try to update every week from now on, because I love the few people who have followed, favorited, and reviewed.**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that was in the Ranger's Apprentice books, though I'm not sure why anyone would ever think that I do.

"Will? Will who?" Martin asked in exasperation, flicking through sheets of paper. "What's your family name, boy?' he asked severely. Will looked at him, hesitating.

"I…don't have…," he began, but mercifully the baron interceded.

"Will is a special case, as is his sister Skylar, Martin," he said quietly, his look telling the secretary to let the matter go. He turned back to Will, smiling encouragement.

"What school did you wish to apply for, Will?" he asked.

"Battleschool, please, my lord," Will replied. The Baron allowed a frown to crease his forehead, and I knew Will wouldn't get in. Even before I saw the Baron's reaction I had guessed that he wouldn't get in. Will was the main character, and wasn't this book called _Ranger's Apprentice_?

"Battleschool, Will? You don't think you're…a little on the small side?" the Baron asked gently.

"I haven't had my growing spurt yet, sir," he said desperately. "Everybody says that."

The Baron rubbed his bearded chin with thumb and forefinger as he considered the boy before him.

"Rodney?" he said.

The tall knight stepped forward, studied Will for a moment or two, then slowly shook his head.

"I'm afraid he's too small, my lord," he said. I looked at Will, and could practically see his dreams crumbling.

"I'm stronger than I look, sir," he said. But the Battlemaster was unswayed by the plea. He glanced at the Baron, obviously not enjoying the situation, and shook his head.

"Any second choice, Will?" the Baron asked. His voice was gentle, even concerned.

Will hesitated for a long moment. He had never considered any other selection.

"Horseschool, sir?" he asked finally.

Horseschool trained and cared for the mighty battlehorses that the castle's knights rode. I guessed the link to Battleschool was the reason it was Will's second choice. But Ulf, the Horsemaster, was shaking his head already, even before the Baron asked his opinion.

"I need apprentices, my lord," he said, "but this one's too small. He'd never control one of my battlehorses. They'd stomp him into the ground as soon as look at him."

I could see the tears in will's eyes, only kept there by his enormous willpower (hehe Will-power). It would be the ultimate humiliation to be rejected from Battleschool and then to break down and cry like a baby in front of the Baron, all the Craftmasters, and his wardmates.

Will hesitated as he tried to think of any skills he had, finally saying "I'm a good climber, sir," seeing that the Baron was waiting for him to say something. It was a mistake. Chubb, the cook, glared at him angrily.

"He can climb, all right. I remember when he and his sister climbed up a drainpipe into my kitchen and stole a tray of sweetcakes that were cooling on the windowsill."

I tried not to smile, as I remembered the story from my book. Nobody didn't bother trying to conceal her amusement, and was standing next to me, grinning like an idiot. Will, on the other hand, didn't look so amused. I guess reading it, and actually living it were two different matters entirely.

"And just this last spring they climbed up to our third-floor study and turned two rabbits loose during one of our legal debates. Most disruptive. Absolutely!" the Scribemaster recalled.

"Rabbits, you say, Scribemaster?" said the Baron, and Nigel nodded emphatically.

"A male and a female rabbit, my lord, if you take my meaning?" he replied. "Most disruptive indeed!"

I was now barely concealing my laughter as I remembered that incident, then I was startled, as I realized I was remembering _doing_ it, not _reading_ it. I wondered what that was about.

"Well, yes," said the Baron. "We all know how rabbits are."

"And, as I said, my lord, it was _spring_ ," Nigel went on, in case the Baron had missed the point. Lady Pauline gave vent to an unladylike cough. The Baron looked in her direction, in some surprise. I think we get the picture, Scribemaster," he said, then returned his gaze to the desperate figure who stood in front of him. I was really impressed with how brave he was being. Will kept his chin up, stared straight ahead, and refused to let the tears in his eyes fall, despite the fact that he was living his worst nightmare.

"Is there any one of you who could use this boy?" the Baron said.

Will looked pleadingly at the line of Craftmasters, hoping that one of them would accept him. I knew they wouldn't, though. Wasn't this book called _Ranger's_ Apprentice? One by one, silently, they shook their heads.

The Baron smiled sadly at Will, before turning his attention to me. And that leaves us with one more candidate. I stepped forward, suddenly nervous.

"Sky, m-my lord," I said, nervously, as I tried to remember if that was the correct form of address.

"What school did you wish to apply for, Sky?" the Baron asked.

I had a bit of a panic attack in my brain, as I realized that I had to choose one of the Craftmasters to be apprenticed to. I hadn't really thought this part out very well.

"Um…uh…diplomatic service, my lord?" I said, panicking, before I realized that it didn't matter who I chose, because this book was called Ranger's Apprentice, so no matter what I said, Halt the Ranger would be my mentor.

"My Lady?" the Baron said.

Lady Pauline smiled kindly, before saying "Are you sure that that is where your talents lie?"

I smiled back, ruefully, "Well, I would ask to be in Battleschool, like my brother, but they don't accept girls."

"Yes, because boys typically have a more muscular build than girls, therefore making them better candidates. And even if you were a boy, you would have the same problem as Will. You're just too small" the Battlemaster said, defending himself in case Lady Pauline decided to have a feminist rant, as she was known to do.

"Any second choice, Sky?" the Baron asked kindly.

"No, sir," I said, which seemed to surprise him.

"Well, is there anyone who could use her?" Everyone shook their heads again. I didn't bother with the pleading glance. I was waiting for Halt to say he could use both of us, because that was what was (English!) going to happen. Halt was going to take us both as his apprentices. This was what was going through my head as he stepped forward.

"There is something you should know about these two, my lord," he said, in a deep, soft-spoken voice, with a small accent that I didn't recognize. That surprised me. Weren't we supposed to become his apprentices? He handed the Baron a folded sheet of paper. Arald unfolded it, studied the word written there and frowned.

"You're sure of this, Halt?" he said.

"Indeed, my lord."

The Baron carefully refolded the paper and placed it on his desk. He drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the desktop, then said:

"I'll have to think on this overnight."

Halt nodded and stepped back, seeming to fade into the background as he did so. Well that got my curiosity's attention. What could possibly be on that sheet of paper, and why did Halt know it, but not us? It must be a major spoiler, or wouldn't my book have told me about it? And why hadn't he said that he wanted us as apprentices? What was going on? I thought I knew where the story was going! The sheet of paper lay there, tantalizingly close, yet impossibly far away.

I realized that there was movement around me and the Baron was speaking to the other people in the room.

"Congratulations to those who were selected here today. It's a big day for all of you, so you're free to have the rest of the day off and enjoy yourselves. The kitchens will provide a banquet for you in your quarters and for the rest of the day you have free run of the castle and village.

"Tomorrow, you'll report to your new Craftmasters first thing in the morning. And if you'll take a tip from me, you'll make sure you're on time" He smiled at the four who were chosen, the addressed me and Will, with a hint of sympathy in his voice.

"Will, Sky, I'll let you know tomorrow what I've decided about you." He turned to Martin and gestured for him to show the new apprentices out. "Thank you, everyone," he said, and left the room through the door behind his desk.

The Craftmasters followed his lead, then Martin ushered the former wards to the door. They chatted together excitedly, relieved and delighted that they had been selected by the Craftmasters of their choice.

Will and I hung back behind the others, hesitating as we passed the desk where that sheet of paper still lay. I stared at it for a moment, wishing I could read it. Then I got the feeling someone was watching us. I looked up, at the same time as Will and found myself staring into the dark eyes of the Ranger, who remained behind the Baron's high-backed chair, almost invisible in that strange cloak of his.

As Will began to walk out, I managed to snap out of it, and follow him.

 **That is all for this time. If you enjoyed this chapter then follow, favorite, and review, and I will see you next time *salutes***

 **(Yes I am aware I just totally copied venturiantale. No I do not care. Ima bird)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone who stumbled across my weird little story! I am a despicable human being. Things have just been really crazy with school and everything, not to mention my latest obsession, Gravity Falls. But it's mainly been procrastination, so I'm really sorry. I'll try to update more regularly, but I can't make any promises. Anyways, ON TO THE STORY!**

* * *

That day, Will had slipped away from the rest of our yearmates as they celebrated. Naturally, I followed him out to the forest.

"Hey," I said, unsure of how to comfort him. He jumped, startled.

"Sky! You scared me! I didn't hear you coming," Will said, smiling even though this morning's events had clearly been hard on him.

"Tada!" I said doing jazz hands. Then, in what I hoped was a comfort-your-new-twin-brother-who-you've-never-actually-met-before-but-he-doesn't-know-that tone, "You okay?"

"Oh, sure," he said, sarcastically. "I've only been denied entrance into battleschool, crushing any chance I had at being like our father, and then no one else would take me, which means I'll have to work on a farm for the rest of my life, and, Halt knows something about our father that we don't, and there's no way we'll ever find out, unless we break into the Baron's office tonight."

I nodded. "Sounds like a rough day. So, what's your plan?"

"What?"

"Don't try to tell me you haven't already come up with a plan to break into the Baron's office," I said. I didn't actually know Will, except for vague bits and pieces that were becoming more and more clear the longer I stayed here. But if I knew one thing, it was that there was no way he wouldn't find a way to read that paper.

"…I might have a rough outline…" he admitted.

"Perfect. What do you need me to do?"

"Well…"

* * *

I crouched in the shadows, perfectly still, watching the guard who stood outside the tower door. I had been waiting for hours, ever since Will and I had come up with our plan for this time, in the last hour of the guard's shift, when they were tired, and the light was uncertain. Will was better than I was at coming up with plans, and, according to him, this would be the best time to sneak into the Baron's office.

I played through the plan in my head again. Distract the guard at the bottom of the tower long enough for Will to start climbing. Don't stop until he's high enough for the guard to not notice him. Then sneak up through the door, I remembered. The last part was my own addition, because according to Nobody, I needed to be in the tower.

Will, who was crouched behind me, gently nudged my shoulder, and I proceeded to "sneak" around, making it obvious that I was there, but not so obvious that it was suspicious. The guard fell for it, and I led him away from the spot Will was planning to climb up. I kept him for as long as I could, but after only a few minutes, he decided I was just a squirrel, or something, and ignored me. Will, however, was a fast climber, so he was already far up enough to not be noticed.

Really sneaking now, I went inside the castle, and hurried to the ward area, where Nobody was waiting for me. I found her playing with the weird metal wand thing that she called a sonic screwdriver.

"There you are," she said. "I've been waiting forever." She looked at her "watch," which had twelve hands, and planets instead of numbers. "Hot Belgian waffles! We've gotta hurry!" she said, and took off down a hallway. She was fast, and it was hard to keep up with her and be quiet. We stopped around the corner from the door up to the Baron's office. Nobody turned to me.

"Okay, so here's how we'll get you up there. I'll distract the guard just enough to let you slip past. The door will be locked, so you'll need to use my screwdriver to get it open. Once you get passed the guards, it should be pretty easy to get up there, but be careful not to make any sound, in case the Baron is a light sleeper. Also, make sure you don't let anyone see my sonic. It has a perception filter, so that should help. Just press this button here while holding it up to the lock, and it will open," she said. I didn't understand how the heck a glorified flashlight would open a door, or what a perception filter was, but Nobody hadn't been wrong so far, so I decided to trust her on this. Except for one thing.

"How are you going to distract the guard?" I asked. "He can't see or hear you."

"I'm invisible, but I'm not a ghost. I can interact with the objects around me," she replied. "Now, stay perfectly still until the guard moves away from the door." She handed me her sonic screwdriver, and walked out towards the guard. She walked right past him, over to where there was a small table, and pushed it over. That got the guards attention. He walked over to investigate, and I hurried to the door, unlocking it with the sonic screwdriver. How the guard missed the weird buzzing sound emitting from it was beyond me. I opened the door, and hurried inside.

I put the screwdriver into my pocket, and crept up the stairs, going carefully, to ensure that I made no sound. When I finally made it to the top, the door was surprisingly unlocked. Carefully, I opened it, silently begging it not to creak. I looked around the room, and almost gasped with surprise. Halt was standing right across from me, looking out the window. As soon as I noticed him, he looked up and saw me standing in the doorway.

Silently, he glided over to me, grabbed my arm, and said "Don't make a sound," in a quiet, but intense voice. He forced me to make direct eye contact, and his dark eyes were cold, and unblinking. After holding me like that for a moment, he let go, and returned to the window.

The window! Will was still coming! He didn't know it was a trap! As soon as the thought formed, Will's head popped up through the window.

Instead of heeding the ranger's warning, I did the stupidly brave thing, and called out "Will! Climb back down! It's a trap!" It took a minute for him to process what I was saying, and by the time he realized what was going on, Halt had grabbed him, and was pulling him in through the window.

"Next time I tell you to be quiet, you'd best listen," said Halt, just as cool and quiet as before, which was somehow more terrifying than it had been the first time. "Thought you might try something like this," he said nodding to Will, "although, you were a bit of a surprise," he said, turning to me. We both hung our heads in shame and despair.

"Do either of you have anything to say?" Halt asked us, and we shook our heads, not meeting Halt's gaze. "Well, let's see what the Baron thinks about this."

Next to me, Will stiffened, and I could tell he was most afraid of this. He had still had a hope of going to battleschool before, but those hopes were gone now.

"Please, Halt! Not…" Then Will stopped, and I understood why. There was no excuse for what we had done and the least we could do was face our punishment bravely. Like dad, was probably where Will's mind went.

The Ranger studied us for a moment. There seemed to be a brief flicker of recognition, maybe? But then it was gone, and his eyes were cold and emotionless once more.

"What?" Halt said curtly.

"Nothing," we answered in unison.

The ranger gripped both of our wrists like iron as he walked us up the wide, curving staircase that led up to the Baron's living quarters. The sentries at the head of the staircase seemed surprised to see us, but then, they probably weren't used to two kids breaking into the Baron's office. At a brief signal from Halt, they stood aside, and opened the doors into the Baron's apartment.

The room was brightly lit, which confused me as I remembered watching the lights in this room go out. Then I noticed the heavy drapes across the window. In contrast to the Baron's sparsely furnished office below, this room was a comfortable clutter of footstools, carpets, tapestries, and armchairs. In one of these, Baron Arald sat, reading through a pile of reports.

He looked up from the page he was holding as Halt entered, Will and I in tow.

"So you were right," said the Baron, eyeing Will, and then, noticing me, "Well, sort of. I suppose we should've known Skylar would be in this somehow. They rarely work apart, Will and Sky."

"Yes, I suppose so, my lord. They came across the castle yard like shadows. Sky distracted the sentry while Will climbed the tower like a spider, then proceeded to ghost past the sentry down at the door to your office, and came up that way."

The Baron set the report down on a side table and leaned forward.

"He climbed the tower, did you say? And she snuck past the sentry?" he asked, a trifle incredulously.

"No rope. No ladder, my lord. Climbed it as easily as you get on your horse in the morning. And the girl had no help, near as I could tell. Snuck past just as easy. Easier, in fact," Halt said, with just the ghost of a smile.

The Baron frowned, obviously not amused at Halt's pointing out his weight.

"Well now," he said, looking sternly at us. "This is a serious matter. I seem to have a ghost and a spider on my hands."

We didn't say anything, unsure whether or not he expected an answer. I wished Halt hadn't mentioned the Baron's weight, seeing as it would do nothing to help us.

"So, what should we do with you two?" the Baron continued. He rose from his chair and began to pace. I looked at his face, trying to decide if he was more angry or impressed, but he gave nothing away. The Baron stopped his pacing, and fingered his beard thoughtfully.

"Tell me," he said, facing away from my anxious self, and my miserable brother, "what would you do in my place? What would you do with two children who broke into your office in the middle of the night and tried to steal an important document?"

"We weren't stealing, my lord!" Will denied. I looked at him, a bit confused. Sure, we weren't planning on taking the paper, but we were still breaking into his office in the middle of the night. The Baron turned to us, one eyebrow raised in apparent disbelief. Will continued weakly "We just…wanted to see it, that's all."

"Perhaps so," said the Baron, that eyebrow still raised. "But you haven't answered my question. What would you do in my place?"

We looked at each other, and I could tell what was going through his mind. We could plead. We could apologize. We could ask for mercy. We could try to explain. But I knew we wouldn't do any of those things. We had known the consequences of being caught. And we had both chosen to take that risk. We had no right now to plead for forgiveness. We would be brave, and face whatever punishment the Baron decided on together. We would be brave, and strong, like our father. I grabbed his hand, and nodded, in agreement with his thoughts.

"My lord…," Will began, hesitantly. The Baron regarded him, still half turned from the window.

"Yes?" he said, and Will somehow found the resolve to go on.

"My lord, I don't know what I'd do in your place. I do know there is no excuse for our actions and we will accept whatever punishment you decide." I nodded, agreeing with what Will said.

"Any suggestions, Halt?" the Baron asked, in a carefully neutral tone.

We looked at the Ranger now. His face was stern. The grizzled gray beard and short hair made him seem even more disapproving, more ominous.

"Perhaps we should show them the paper they were so keen to see, my lord," he said, producing the single sheet from inside his sleeve.

The Baron allowed a smile to break through. "Not a bad idea," he said. "I suppose, in a way, it does spell out the punishment, doesn't it?"

Will and I glanced at each other, then the two men. There was something going on here that we didn't understand. The Baron seemed to think that what he had just said was rather amusing. Halt, on the other hand, wasn't sharing in the fun.

"If you say so, my lord," he replied evenly. The Baron waved a hand at him impatiently. "Take a joke, Halt! Take a joke! Well, go on and show them the paper."

The Ranger grossed the room and handed Will the sheet we had risked so much to see. His hand trembled as he took it, and I understood why. Our punishment? How had he known we would deserve punishment before the actual event?

I nudged him, so he would unfold the sheet of paper. He did so, slowly, and shakily, and we read the words Halt had written there.

 _The boy Will has the potential to be trained as a Ranger._

 _I will accept him as my apprentice._

* * *

 **For all of you who have no idea what a sonic screwdriver is, it's from Doctor Who. But yeah. I updated! Be proud! Don't be mad that I haven't updated for months! Again, sorry about that. I'll try to update more regularly. So, if you enjoyed this chapter follow, favorite, and review, cause those are what keep me going (seriously, I need reviews), and I will see you next time *salutes***


	6. Chapter 5

**Greetings to everyone who stumbled across my weird story! Sorry for not updating for a while. School. Yeah. Anyways, on to the story!**

* * *

I stared at the paper, confused.

My first thought was _Oh. So that's how it happens._ Then I was worried. The paper said nothing about me. will was going to become a ranger, but what about me? Would I still be condemned to a life of farm work? Would I be punished for breaking into the Baron's office? Where was my story going?

It took all of my remaining courage to ask

"What about me?"

The Baron frowned. "I don't know. We weren't planning on you coming, though looking back on it, we should've expected it. Halt, what do you think?"

"There has never been a female ranger before, my lord," Halt answered. _Farmwork, here I come,_ I thought glumly. "However," he continued, "I believe I'll find some use for her."

 _Okay, so instead of working on a farm, I'm working for Halt? What will I be doing?_ _What on earth does he want me for?_ I wondered.

"Well, what do you say?" the Baron asked, in an encouraging tone.

"Thank you, sir...my lord," Will said uncertainly. The Baron gave a little sigh as he lowered himself into his armchair, seemingly unsatisfied with Will's answer.

"Perhaps you might give us a few moments alone, Halt?" he asked, gesturing towards the door. "I'd like to have a word with Will and Sky in private." The ranger bowed.

"Certainly, my lord," he said from deep inside his cowl. He moved past us and out through the door that led to the corridor outside, silently.

"Sit down," the Baron said, gesturing to the low armchairs facing his. We did as he asked, nervously sitting on the edge of our seats. The Baron sighed.

"You don't seem very pleased with my decision," he said, sounding disappointed. The reaction was a bit confusing. Why would the Baron care what two kids thought of his decisions? Unsure if he expected an answer, I didn't reply, and neither did Will.

"Would either of you prefer to work as a farmhand?" he asked.

"No sir!" Will quickly answered for the both of us.

"Well then," the Baron continued, "would you prefer that I punish you somehow for what you've done?"

We glanced at each other, worried that the answer would be insulting. The Baron gestured at us to answer.

"It's just that...we're not sure you haven't, sir," Will began. The Baron frowned, and I quickly tried to explain.

"We just don't know much about rangers, and there are lots of rumors about-" at this point, Will stepped on my foot to get me to stop talking, knowing I was about to butcher the explanation into an insult to Halt on accident. After all, the Baron was friends with Halt, and it probably wasn't the best idea to remind him that most people said they were evil warlocks. Nevertheless, a look of understanding replaced his perplexed expression.

"Of course. People say that they're black magicians, don't they?" he agreed, and we nodded. "Tell me, do you find Halt to be a frightening person?"

"No, sir!" Will said hastily, and I looked at him, eyebrow raised. Under the skeptical gaze of both me and the Baron, he reluctantly added "Well...maybe a bit."

The Baron leaned back, steepling his fingers together. "The Rangers are a mysterious group of people," he said. "But there's nothing about them to be frightened of-unless you're an enemy of the kingdom. You're not an enemy of the kingdom, are you?" he added. I thought he might be joking.

"No, sir!" Will said in sudden fright.

"All right, all right," he said reassuringly. "I know you're not. But believe me, I thought you'd be glad of this appointment. An adventurous pair like you should take to life as a Ranger like a duck to water. It's a big opportunity for both of you. Very few are chosen to be apprentice Rangers, you know. The opportunity only comes up on rare occasions."

I nodded, still not entirely convinced that whatever Halt had in mind for me was going to be as great as the Baron seemed to believe.

"I wanted to be a warrior, sir," Will said tentatively, but the Baron shook his head immediately.

"I'm afraid your talents lie in other directions. Halt knew that when he first saw you. That's why he asked for you."

"Oh," said Will. "It's just that Halt seems so grim all the time."

"He certainly doesn't have my sparkling sense of humor," the Baron agreed, and I realized that he had meant to make a joke earlier. Will, however, did not, and he stared blankly at him. The Baron muttered something under his breath.

"But...what does a Ranger actually do, my lord?" he asked, changing the topic. Once again, the baron shook his head.

"That's for Halt to tell you himself. They're a quirky group and they don't like other people talking about them too much. Now, perhaps you should go back to your quarters and try to get some sleep. You're to report to Halt's cottage at six o'clock in the morning."

"Yes, my lord," Will said, and we both rose, bowing to the Baron. We moved towards the stairs, but the Baron called to us.

"Will? This time use the stairs."

"Yes, my lord," he replied seriously, and I mentally slapped him for still not understanding that the Baron was trying to be funny.

We let ourselves out through the door, and down the stairs to the bottom of the tower. As soon as the door was opened, Nobody was there, asking me questions.

"So, how'd it go? You're gonna be a Ranger, right? Wrong? Never mind. Don't tell me now. We'll have all night for you to tell me. Come on. This way to your room."

* * *

 **That is all for this time. If you enjoyed this chapter, please review, cause they keep me going, and I will see you next time! *salutes***


	7. Not actually a chapter (sorry)

Hey, y'all. Sorry for not uploading in forever. And sorry that this isn't a chapter. I've decided that I want to do something different. Don't worry, I'm still gonna upload this story. Just not for a while. I say that like it hasn't already been a while. But my new plan is to finish it first so I can upload it regularly rather than take months to upload a single chapter. I'm also gonna edit the beginning chapters, and maybe even rewrite them entirely. I thank you for your patience with me. But know that the next time I upload, I will continue to do so regularly.


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